2023-24 Regular Season, Game 67: Hurricanes at Toronto Maple Leafs (Pregame)

The Carolina Hurricanes got the last laugh on Thursday night when they dominated the Florida Panthers for 60 minutes to win the season series. With Frederik Andersen and Sergei Bobrovsky squaring off since battling in the Eastern Conference Finals, it was the Canes' goalie who got the last laugh. Seth Jarvis opened the scoring in the final minute of the first period, snapping a shot over the shoulder of Bobrovsky to get the Canes going. The Kuznetsov line took over the game in the second period. Martin Necas buried a rebound as he was falling, doubling the lead and giving Jake Guentzel his first point as a Hurricanes with the secondary helper. Less than six minutes later, Evgeny Kuznetsov finished a shot from the left dot, sending PNC Arena into a frenzy as he celebrated like only he knew how. The Canes put the game away for good after Andrei Svechnikov banked a shot from the defensive zone off the boards and into the empty net to seal a 4-0 win. Andersen recorded his first shutout in over a year, stopping 21 shots, and Jaccob Slavin added two assists as the Canes picked up their 40th win of the season. 

The Opponent: Toronto Maple Leafs (38-19-8, 84 Points- 3rd in the Atlantic Division)

Last Meeting- The Hurricanes traveled to Toronto to play their final game of 2023 in December. Former Leaf Michael Bunting got the Canes on the board first, burying a shot on the power play from the slot to take a 1-0 lead. The Canes' power play struck again late in the second period when Seth Jarvis finished a 2-on-1 to double the advantage after 40 minutes. Toronto got one back early in the third period as Timothy Liljegren snapped a wrister over the blocker of Pyotr Kochetkov to cut the Canes' lead in half. Sebastian Aho put one into the empty net in the final minutes to seemingly put the game away. Kochetkov nearly made a Save of the Year candidate in the dying seconds, but a review would determine that Nicols Robertson's shot just went over the line to get the Leafs back within a goal with less than ten seconds left. It was too little too late, as the Canes finished the year with a 3-2 win behind 25 saves from Kochetkov and a three-point night from Aho.

Since We Last Met- These two teams have been eerily similar since the start of 2024. Toronto is 21-9-1 in the new year. Their point percentage is fifth in the league, and their 43 points are tied for third. They're also tied for third in goals per game and in the Top 10 in goals allowed per game. They're firmly entrenched in the third spot in the Atlantic Division because of how dominant the Panthers and Bruins have been. It's crazy that they'll likely start the postseason on the road. Toronto has been especially hot since mid-February. They've won 12 of their last 15 games, including a seven-game win streak. They've won their last two games, dominating the Flyers in Philadelphia 6-2 on Thursday night. Auston Matthews remains the game's premier scorer, leading Sam Reinhart and Zach Hyman by nine goals in the Rocket race. He's the only player with 50 goals, pacing the league with 55 goals. He has also entered the Top 10 in the league in scoring with 82 points, while William Nylander leads the team with 86 points. The Leafs' identity remains focused on offense, though their deadline additions of Ilya Lybushkin and Joel Edmundson helped to add some grit to their backend. 

Stories/Keys of the Game

1. The Road Warriors are Stepping Out Again

It's largely agreed upon that the turning point in the season for the Hurricanes came on December 12, when they ended a four-game losing streak in Ottawa, where they'll be tomorrow night. Since then, no team in the NHL has been better on the road than the Hurricanes. They're 12-1-2 in their last 15 road games, scoring over 3.50 goals per game, allowing less than two goals per game, converting on 41 percent of their power plays, and killing 91.5 percent of their penalties. Not only have they been winning these games, they've been doing it in regulation. One of those 12 wins was a victory in Toronto, too. They've been playing great at home, but they've gotten very comfortable on the road, allowing them to achieve a lot of their success to this point in the season.

2. The Kuznetsov Line is Clicking

While it has only been two games, the line of Evgeny Kuznetsov, Jake Guentzel, and Martin Necas has been so much fun to watch. Their puck movement against New York and Florida has been mesmerizing. They weren't rewarded against the Rangers, but all three found the scoresheet against the Panthers on Thursday. What looked like a makeshift line has been their best this week. I wouldn't have thought it would work long-term, but the results have spoken for themself thus far. If some of that could rub off on the other lines, I wouldn't have a problem with that. The new guys had to rush to get into the fold, though you wouldn't notice with their effort the last time out.

3. Marner's Status Could Be a Big Factor

Seeing as I'm not an insider, I can't say this with any level of certainty, but it didn't seem like people were confident that Mitch Marner would be playing tonight. He suffered a high-ankle sprain last weekend, and he was not in the lineup for their game on Thursday. Obviously, whether he plays or not could have a huge impact on tonight's game. He's one of the best two-way players in the league, and he sits third in points for the Leafs with 76. He's been phenomenal against the Canes in his career, scoring eight goals and 18 points in 17 meetings. I always think back to his five-point performance before Christmas in 2019 when the Leafs won a wild 8-6 game in Toronto. The team performed well without him on Thursday in Philly, but he's a huge difference-maker when he's in the lineup. Not having to worry about him would be a boost for the Canes' chances, but that doesn't mean a win is imminent without him playing. Toronto has so many weapons to worry about that not having Marner might not mean anything.